Going car-free: the quick and dirty

Since early November, I’ve devoted my Real Change column to a series of how-to articles for people who want to give up their cars. So far, I’ve written five, and I’ve barely scratched the surface. After all, there’s a lot to say; Chris Balish wrote an entire book on the subject.

Yesterday, I found wikiHow, a wiki site with a how-to focus. Lo and behold–they have useful and informative one-pager about going car free: “How to Live without a Car.” Here’s a taste:

Living without a car can be pretty tough, especially in the U.S., where public transportation is frequently lacking and where questionable urban planning has caused the average person to live far away from workplaces, schools, and markets. That said, it’s certainly possible, as long as you’re willing to change your lifestyle. Some of the suggestions below are easy for anybody, while others require more sacrifice. The sacrifice, however, may benefit you immensely once you consider the staggering cost of owning a vehicle …

The rest of the article is a list of basic steps you should take and tools you will need to find success living without a car. It ain’t perfect (I don’t, for example, agree that you need “a friend [who is] willing to drive you around”), but it’s a doggone good start.